Our Love is Like a Risen Phoenix
by VampHorrorStory
Summary: 10 years have passed since Violet told Tate to go away. Will she ever forgive him? Will he be able to prove that he has changed because of her? Can they ever be the same as they once were? This is my fanfic from the 2nd round of the AHS Fanfic Exchange. It is also my first-ever story, so constructive criticism is welcomed. Enjoy!


**10 Years Later**

Tate was sitting in a dark corner of the basement, rocking back and forth in his chair. He was listening to an iPod he found that one of the former residents had left in the wake of their sudden departure from the Murder House. The song, Broken by Seether, started to play and made him think of her. Tears filled his eyes and streamed down his face and he decided he couldn't take it anymore.

He had respected Violet's wishes for all these years to stay away, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. Recently, he'd caught himself wanting to watch her as she slept, just like he used to do when they were together.

As he was still listening to the song and remembering the past, he started to sense that he wasn't alone anymore. He stopped the song, took off his headphones and was shocked to see who was standing there.

"Oh thinking of your little nightingale, your little flower? How pathetic can you be, Tate? Why can't you just get over her already? She doesn't want to be with you because of all the bad things you've done," Hayden exclaimed. She really loved to get under his skin and this time was no different.

"Hayden, go away, I'm not in the mood to deal with you. Don't you have better things to do than bother me? I bet Ben's looking for you," Tate replied, with a sarcastic grin on his face.

"Actually Tate, I do have something to tell you. I've been watching Violet for a while now and I can tell that she misses you, as strange as that is. I've even seen her looking at that stupid bird book you used to have. It's really pathetic how she tells herself over and over again that it's complete bullshit that she still cares for you," she persisted, laying it on thicker and thicker.

"And you're telling me this why, Hayden? Don't you want me to be miserable like you? What do you have to gain by telling me this? What are your ulterior motives," he questioned, not believing a word she was saying.

"Tate, can't I just be nice to you for a change and it not mean anything? But seriously, if you must know, I'm actually jealous of you. At least for you, the person you love still cares about you, even after all that you have done. Ben will not even speak to me or look at me. It's like I'm not even here," she confessed. Both her eyes and voice displayed the true sadness in her heart.

"How dare you even compare your affair with Ben to Violet and mine's relationship. Ours was one of true love, where yours was just a fling." Tate's answer was brash, his disdain for her quite obvious.

"Tate, If that's so, then you need to seriously grow some balls and do something about it. Show her how much you still love her, not with words alone, but through your actions. Remind her of how and why she fell in love with the first place," she remarked, challenging him to either put up or shut up.

"I was just thinking about doing that. She changed me and I want to prove to her that I'm a better person now, because of it," he confessed. His confession was both heartfelt and honest, which took her by surprise.

"When were you planning to start wooing her again, Romeo? Time's a wasting," Hayden asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood between them.

"Actually, I'm gonna go talk to her later tonight. I know ten years is not a lot of time, but time is all we got now. An eternity of time," he replied. The look on his face was one of intense yearning and determination.

"Alright then, I wish you good luck and if you need any ideas of things to do, I'll gladly help you. If I can't experience the feeling of true love myself, then the next best thing is to help someone else achieve it," Hayden responded, truthfully hoping for the best.

"Thanks Hayden. It really means a lot to hear you say that. I've thought for all these years that you were just a cold-hearted, mean witch, but in reality, you're just very sad and misunderstood." He felt awful for the way he had been speaking to her and hoped that she could forgive him.

"Well go get your Juliet, Romeo," she replied happily, as he was getting up to leave. To his surprise, she popped him on the butt as he walked by her up the stairs.

Violet was in her room, as she always was. She was laying on her bed, listening to Nirvana on her iPod and flipping through the bird book. She was daydreaming about him: his eyes, his face, and everything else about him she loved. But then she remembered all of those bad things he had done.

"This is complete bullshit." She angrily threw the book and iPod across the room. When she didn't hear it hit the wall, she looked up and saw him.

"Tate, I told you that I never want to see you again. You murdered all those people and destroyed my life and my family. What makes you think that you have the right to barge into my room and back into my life?" Violet's reply was callous, nearly bringing him to tears.

"Violet, you changed me all those years ago. I'm not the same person I was before you," he pleaded with her, wishing that she would hear him out.

"Really, Tate, what makes you think that I believe you? I don't believe a word you are telling me now. How have you changed? Prove it to me," Violet replied, waiting to hear his reason that she was sure she was gonna shot down

"Give me a second chance. Allow me to show you how I've changed and I guarantee you that you'll fall back in love with me again, maybe even more than before. If you love someone, you should never hurt them." He looked deep into her chestnut-colored eyes, begging for her say yes.

"There you go again with that if you love someone line. What if I don't feel the same way about you as before after what?" Violet answered back, shaking her head in disbelief.

"If you don't feel the same, then I'll leave you alone forever. No questions asked and it was never meant to be. But if you do still love me, then it was meant to be all along." He laid it all out for her and now the choice was hers.

Violet rolled her eyes and sighed. "Okay fine, I'll do it. But I'm only doing this to get you to leave me alone. What did you have in mind?"

Tate smiled and said, "Be ready tomorrow night," before leaving her without saying another word.

Violet walked over and picked up her things and laid back down on her bed. "What have I gotten myself into this time?" She turned her iPod back on, flipped open the book and pulled out the card in the back, rubbing her fingers along where he had signed it before he died. She didn't want to admit it, but she was actually looking forward to their date.

Tate retreated to Ben's old office to prepare for their date. He was trying to come up with something out of the ordinary to do, when Hayden appeared.

"So, how did it go? Was she willing to at least listen and give you another chance or what?" Hayden questioned, wanting to know all the details.

"Well yes, she listened and agreed to give me another shot, but I don't think she believes it's gonna work out. I have got to come up with something really special to make her change her mind," he replied, a look of intense thought and concentration on his face.

"And what did you have in mind to do, Tate?" she inquired, attempting to help him figure it out.

"Well, I want to recreate some of the best moments we had before, but with a new twist. You know show her that there's a different side to me that she's never seen before."

"What moment did you have in mind?" she asked, wondering what moment he could be thinking of.

"I was thinking of the night in the basement when I told her the history of the house. We had a Ouija Board and I'd lit some candles to set the mood. I think this was before you were here," he explained. A smile came across his face as he remembered that night, many years ago.

"Tate, what you just said reminded of a song that I used to love when I was still alive. You've got to listen to it and I think you will understand what I'm talking about. Come on, let me show you on the computer," she replied. She pulled him over to the computer, signed onto the internet, and typed in YouTube.

When she pulled up YouTube, it reminded him of another moment that he and Violet had shared together,Violet correcting him "It's not Utube, it's YouTube Y O U." He was daydreaming when Hayden coughed to get his attention again. "Oh sorry, you were saying?" Tate apologized, feeling bad for his absent-mindedness.

"This is the video for the song I was telling you about. It's by a group called Staind and the song is called "It's Been Awhile". Hayden started the video and they watched it together. When it got to the line, "_It's been awhile since I've seen the way the candles light your face_," Tate started crying. He remembered how he loved to see her that night in the candlelight; how it played across her face.

"Ok enough with the crying, I just thought that song might inspire you and it appears to have done the trick. What else did you have in mind for the date? Can you do anything special that she doesn't know about already," she questioned.

"Actually, I write poems, play the guitar, sing and I'm really good at drawing as well," he admitted, to Hayden's shock.

"Wow, that's really interesting Tate. I don't know anyone who wouldn't love to have a poem written for them or a song sang to them either. I'll leave you alone now so you can get to work," she replied, quietly closing the door as she exited the office.

Tate thought some more and decided what he was gonna do for their date. His plan was to sneak up to Violet's room before the date and write her a poem and draw a picture on the chalkboard - the same chalkboard he wrote TAINT on all those years ago. He gathered all the other items: a Ouija Board, candles and a lighter and retreated to the basement for the remainder of the night.

Violet, on the other hand was still up. She couldn't fall asleep, too worried about what tomorrow's date would bring. She keeps telling herself that she has to be strong and not allow him to pull her back into the darkness again. Finally around 5 am, fatigue set in and whisked her away into a slumber.

**The Next Day**

The next day passed by rather quickly. Violet tried to keep herself occupied, so she wouldn't drive herself crazy waiting for their date. Moira noticed that Violet was acting strange and asked her about it.

"Violet dear, why are you acting on edge today? What's bothering you," she inquired as a mother would a child.

"It's nothing, Moira, really, just dreading what is supposed to happen later tonight. Tate's wanting to get back together and he's planning a date for us," Violet replied. Her answer was short and sweet, hoping that Moira wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Really, that seems very nice. You should give the boy another chance, Violet. He's really changed. I've seen it with my own eyes. Before your family moved here, he was cruel and hurt others without any house was in constant turmoil because of him. Once he met and fell in love with you, he become a lot nicer to everyone and the house was a lot calmer too," she admitted, with a smile on her face.

"Really? I'm still not so sure about that Moira," Violet questioned, wondering if they are talking about the same person.

"Violet, just try to approach this date with an open mind and an open heart. I mean we're stuck here in this house forever and all we got is time: time to forgive if not completely forget."

Meanwhile upstairs in Violet's room, Tate was busy at work, writing and drawing on the chalkboard. He decided to draw a dove because Violet seemed to always like looking at them in the book. As for the poem, he found the perfect poem that described exactly how he felt about her. He made it out just in time, disappearing because Violet was about to enter the room at that moment. Plus, he needed to put the finishing touches to everything else down in the basement.

Violet walked into her room and looked around. She had a strange feeling that something wasn't saw what Tate had drawn and written on the chalkboard for her and read the poem aloud:

**Upon the Wings of This Dove**

**I Send to You All My Love**

**As Heaven Opens Up Its Door**

**You Will Know Loneliness No More**

**Life With You I'll Share**

**Your Burdens I'll Bare**

**For You I Will Always Care**

**Whenever You Want Me**

**I'll Always Be There**

Violet teared up for a moment, but stopped when she realized what she was doing. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and plopped down on the bed. She was about to start reading a book when Tate showed up.

"Are you ready for our date, Violet? Here, I got this for you." He handed her a yellow rose.

"Thanks for the rose Tate, I think. Why are you not giving me a black one like before?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued and getting the better of her.

"Violet, do you not realize the significance of rose colors? Yellow signifies friendship and a promise of a new beginning. Black signifies death and farewell," he stated, matter-of-factly.

"Ok that's nice to know. Why not a red rose then? I know that you still love me. It's written all over your face," she questioned, wanting him to admit his true feelings.

" Yes, I do love you still, but I do not want to overwhelm you like I did before. I want us to take things slowly this time. I'm not the same person I was then and there's more to me than you even knew there was."

"So I see Tate, pointing out what was on the chalkboard. I had no clue you liked poetry and could draw," she answered, genuinely impressed with what he had done.

"That and so much more, now let's get this date started." He started to offer her his hand, but he stopped at the last moment; wanting her to decide for herself if she wanted to. They left her room and made their way downstairs to the basement door.

"Tate, why are we stopping? We're not going into the basement, are we?" Violet asked, shocked to be going there of all places.

"After you," Tate held the door open and gestured for her to enter. They continued down the stairs and what Violet saw shocked her. Before her in the same spot as before all those years ago was a Ouija Board and candles. "Have a seat, Violet."

"Tate, you aren't serious are you? A Ouija Board, really? How unoriginal. If I wanted to talk to ghosts, I could have stayed upstairs with the others. A ghost using a Ouija Board to talk to other ghosts, now that's funny." She was trying hard to hold back the laughter boiling up inside of her, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"Violet, please sit down and just appease me," he answered, noticeably frustrated and hurt by her last comment.

"Fine," she huffed and sat down across from him "Let's get this over with already."

"Okay, now put your hand on the planchette with mine and let's ask some questions," he replied, redirecting her back to the Ouija board, his hand accidentally brushing up against hers in the process.

"Fine, now what should I ask first," Violet stuttered, noticeably uneasy due to the touch of his hand.

"Maybe you should ask if there's anyone present and would like to speak with us," he said, also a little unnerved by that split-second touch they shared, the first one in ten years.

"Okay, Is there anyone present who would like to speak to us?" They waited for a response, but one did not come.

"Tate, this is stupid. I'm done with this" Violet got up and started heading for the stairs,thinking of all the other things she could be doing at that time.

" Violet, please stop. You promised you would try," Tate pleaded, looking deep into her eyes. He knew this would work; it always worked in the past.

Violet sighed and came back to sit down with him."Fine, but you're gonna ask the question this time, Tate," she insisted.

They placed their hands back on the planchette and once again their hands brushed up against one another.

"Is there anyone present who would like to speak to us?" This time, they got a response. The planchette pointed to YES. Violet momentarily jerked her hands off it, a little shocked by what just happened.

"Tate, stop moving it. I know you just did that," Violet accused, thinking that Ouija boards only work for the living.

"Honestly Violet, I didn't move it. It's moving on it own. Let's just ask some more questions, okay," he admitted, a little intrigued to see what would happen next.

"Who are you? What's your name?" It started to move again, this time spelling out a name, ADELAIDE.

"Addie, is is really you?" they both asked, floored that it was her of all people. "What do you have to tell us?"

It started to spell out FORGIVE TATE. She looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders, having no clue what Addie was talking about.

"Addie, what do you mean forgive Tate?" Again, it spelled out VIOLET FORGIVE TATE.

"Addie, why or what should I forgive Tate for?" Violet questioned, her voice raised in interest.

The board spelled out LOVE YOU. Violet unconsciously smiled at this and it didn't go unnoticed by Tate.

"Addie, how do you know that he loves me?" she implored, wanting to know more. This time, there was no response.

"Addie, are you still here?" they pleaded for Addie to reply. No response and also all the candles blew out at that moment.

"OK, I think that enough of that Ouija Board, let's go upstairs now, so we can talk some more," Violet suggested. They were both feeling a little uneasy about what just happened.

They headed up the stairs to her room and sat down on her bed. "So Tate, what was the meaning of that?" Violet asked, trying to figure out and calm her nerves after what just happened.

"I really have no clue Violet, honestly. I never talked to Addie much when we were together in the past. I'm guessing she saw how we were together one of those times when she used to sneak into the house when she was still alive," he affirmed, thinking that was the only possible explanation.

" I guess that makes sense. Tate, I know you never really talked about your life that much in the past. What was it like?" Violet questioned, nervous to hear what he had to say, if he decided to share this information at all.

"Well as you know, it wasn't the best in the world. Having Constance as a mother wasn't a walk in the park. It was really tough and the only people I really cared about were Beau and Addie. We didn't deserve to be treated the way we were. Of my siblings, I was probably the closest to Addie." He started to get teary-eyed here and couldn't talk anymore, memories of Addie running rampant in his mind.

"I'm sorry to upset you, Tate. You can tell me more when you are ready," Violet apologized, feeling awful for upsetting him.

"No, Violet you need to hear this. When I was still alive, Constance used to put Addie in a room full of mirrors when she was being a 'bad girl'. Hearing her screams ripped my heart apart. I used to let her out and console her. Then when she got older, she developed feelings for someone who didn't return those feelings. I was the one whose shoulder she would cry on. You know how I say that you should never hurt someone if you love them, that's the reason why. She must have seen something between us before that reminded her of this and didn't want me to hurt like she did," he confessed, fighting through tears the whole time.

"Oh my gosh, how can anyone want to hurt Addie like that? She was so nice and I loved the conversations we used to have," Violet replied, trying to hide the mischievous grin on her face.

"Really and what kind of conversations did you used to have with Addie?" Tate questioned, grinning from ear to ear like a cheshire cat.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Violet playfully struck his arm and turned away, fighting the laughter trying to escape from her.

"Ok, I'll let you slide with that for now. Just promise me you'll tell me someday about those conversations, okay?" he asked, hoping and praying that the day would come sooner than later.

"Ok, that's a deal," Violet agreed, still fighting with a bout of giggles below the surface.

"So Violet, I see you still have that old bird book of mine. Any particular reason why?" Tate questioned, trying to play it cool and put it off as not a big deal.

"No, no reason. I've just read all the books that I can find in the house and I've worked my way back to this one. It's still one of my favorites, as it always has been," Violet replied, nonchalantly, hoping he wouldn't guess the real reason why.

"Okay, well I guess I'm gonna go now, so you can have some alone time. Thank you for keeping your promise to give me a second chance. I'd like to do this again. Would that be possible," he questioned. On the inside, he was hoping and praying she would say yes. This girl makes him feel like a babbling schoolgirl.

" Actually, I was just thinking the same thing. I'd love to see you again. When and where were you thinking," Violet answered, shocked by the truth of the words coming out of her mouth.

"Since Halloween is tomorrow, I know we all want to get out of this house while we can. I was thinking about going to the beach. Would you care to join me?" Tate proposed, doing a little happy celebration dance in his mind.

"Yes, I'd like that. Same beach as before?" Violet questioned, remembering that date and beach quite fondly.

"As always. Can you be ready to go at 7pm? We can build a bonfire like we did before, if you'd like," he suggested, thoughts of the previous bonfire running rampant in his mind.

"Sure, sounds good Tate. See you tomorrow," she agreed. She started to lean forward to give him a hug, but stopped herself just in time. "Oh I forgot to ask you Tate, why a dove?" pointing to the drawing on the chalkboard.

" I chose a dove for a couple of reasons, Violet. First, I know how much you used to like to look at them in the book. Secondly, the Native Americans used to believe that a dove's coos would bring about rain during a dry spell. Kinda like washing away the past and bringing about a new beginning," he replied, hoping she would also draw the connection back to the yellow rose as well.

"That's interesting Tate, I didn't know that about doves," she remarked, truly surprised by his immense knowledge of birds and their legends and/or mythologies. "Good night Tate."

"Good night Violet and enjoy your day of freedom tomorrow." He got up and proceed to leave, closing the door as quietly as possible to not disturb the others. Once on the other side of the door, he was approached rather quickly by Hayden, wanting a blow-by-blow accounting of the night's events. He gives her the shush signal and points downstairs, hoping she would get the clue to follow him.

Meanwhile back in Violet's room, she's getting ready to go to bed. She plans to spend the day with her parents and baby brother. She curls up in her covers, turns off the lights and turns on her Ipod. She falls asleep rather quickly, to a song about birds of all things.

Once in the basement, Hayden starts in with the questions."Ok, tell me everything, Tate. Did she like what you had planned," she asked, grabbing his arms excitedly.

"Yes, she seemed to like what I had planned for the date. I decided to write a poem and do a drawing of a dove on the chalkboard for her. Also, I gave her a yellow rose, instead of a black one as before. She really seemed impressed by the Ouija board setup in the basement. Speaking of the Ouija board, something quite strange happened when we're playing with the board. We had an unexpected visitor, my sister Addie, decided to pay us a visit. She was wanting for Violet to forgive me. I have no idea why she would say that. But it did give me a chance to open up to Violet about my life," he confessed, proud of himself for taking that very difficult first step.

"Good for you, Tate. So is there gonna be another date or what, loverboy," she questioned, eagerly wanting to know his response, which she was sure was gonna be a yes.

"As a matter of fact, we are going out tomorrow night. I'm taking her back to the same beach I took her to before," he replied, a huge smile across his face as he remembered that night and beach in question.

" I take it that's another one of those moments, huh? So, what are your plans for this time," she asked, bouncing with happiness and excitement.

"Same as before, a bonfire by the beach, but the new twist is gonna be interesting. I'm actually gonna sing and play a song for her. I'm not sure what song exactly yet, but it's gonna be good," he promised. He began to search the basement for the guitar he used to play while he was still alive. He found in a box, over by the backdoor. He started to strum it, tuning it back up.

"All right then,Tate. I'll leave you to practice and prepare for tomorrow's date," she replied,silently exiting the basement.

He strummed his guitar and tried to come up with a song for a while, but it wouldn't come to him. He decided to take a break for the rest of the night, realizing that tomorrow was going to be a very busy and possibly life-changing day.

**Halloween 2021**

Violet woke up bright and early, ready to get the day started. She looked down at her iPod, shook her head and started to bust a gut laughing at the song she must have paused it on when she fell asleep. "Free as a Bird, how's that for a sign?" She remembered what Tate used to say about birds flying away when things get too crazy. Thinking of him made her get excited for their date later on tonight. She finished getting dressed and headed downstairs to meet up with the others. When she walked into the room, they could tell she was in an extremely good mood.

"So, I take it that the date went well last night?" Moira questioned, smiling already knowing the answer.

"Yes Moira, It actually went quite well. Better than expected. Thank you for getting me to open my eyes and heart to Tate again. I learned a lot about him that I didn't already know," she confessed, proud of herself for taking the higher road. "So what's everyone plans for today?"

"Wait a second, what did you say, Violet? Did I hear you right? You went on a date with Tate and didn't tell your father and I?" The look on Vivian's face was priceless, bugged out eyes and her jaw nearly dragging on the floor, figuratively.

"Yes mom, you heard right. We had a date in the basement last night, complete with Ouija board and candles. It was quite nice. We're getting together later tonight as well, so you can stop with the interrogation now, thank you." Her response was quite short and haughty, just like how any other eternal teenager would act if confronted by their parents or another authority figure. Moira was listening and watching this conversation unfold and felt the need to reassure Vivian that all is well and there's nothing to worry about.

"Vivian, I assure you nothing bad happened. He was quite the gentleman. I know that you and Ben might have some reservations about him, but there's no need for concern. I've known and watched Tate for many years. I've seen both his good side and his evil side. He is and has always been a better person whenever Violet has been involved in his life," Moira admitted, hoping to alleviate their apprehensions. Violet mouthed a silent "Thank you" to Moira, unbeknownst to her mother.

"Alright then, Moira. I trust you know what's best," Vivian replied, the look of her face starting to return back to normal. "As for our plans for today, I would like for us all to spend the day together, maybe doing some shopping. Moira, would you like to join us?" Vivian asked, hoping she would join them since she had no one left in her family to visit with.

"Yes, I'd like very much. Then later on, maybe you and Ben could use a date night, while I take the baby trick-or treating at the neighborhood fall festival,. Does that sound like a good plan?" she proposed, hoping and knowing that they needed some alone time.

"Sounds good. I don't know about you all, but I'm ready to get this day started," Ben replied, while putting on his coat and hurrying them out the front door.

Once the front door closed, Tate peeped out into the corridor from the basement, making sure the coast was clear. Once he was sure it was, he exited and made his way up to Violet's room. He had been awake for a while now, trying to come up with a song to play and sing for Violet with no luck. He was hoping to be inspired by something of hers. Also, he wanted to leave her something special, a quote by Arrigo Boito on the chalkboard. That smile that she was trying to hide so hard last night didn't go unnoticed and he wanted to let her know it too.

When he entered the room, he looked around and found her Ipod on her nightstand. He always admired her good sense of taste when it came to music. He picked it up and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what the last song playing was. "Free as a Bird by the Beatles, now that's an interesting choice in songs." He remembered when they used to listen to music together all those years ago. He started the song, listening very closely to the words. He couldn't believe how perfect the words were. " This is it, this is the song," he decided. After writing the quote on the chalkboard, he made his way back to the basement, so he could practice and be ready for later on.

Meanwhile, Violet had spent a good bit of the day with the others, but she wanted to sneak away for a while. She had been thinking of Tate occasionally and about what he said about doves last night. She wanted to surprise him with a little gift, maybe a book or something like that. "May I be be excused? I'd like to go to the bookstore and maybe get some new books, since I've already read all the others." she asked, hoping that they wouldn't suspect that anything was up.

"Sure, hurry along now. Once you get done, we'll head home since it's getting late. Meet us back here at 5:30," Ben responded, while looking at his watch..

It was 4pm, so she had an hour and a half to spend in the bookstore, plenty of time to find just the right book for Tate. When she entered the store, she made a beeline for the Native American folklore section. She searched high and low and found the book, American Indian Myths and Legends. She opened it up and scanned over an interesting Sioux Indian story about Wakinyan Tanka, The Great Thunderbird. She decided to get him the book. She looked down at her watch and it was 5:15pm, so she checked out and made her way back to meet with the others.

They arrived back at the house at 6:15pm, giving her 45 minutes to get ready for the date. Her stomach was all knotted-up in anticipation of the date. When she walked into her room, she was shocked to find something else written on the chalkboard. She read the quote aloud:

**When I saw you I fell in love. And you smiled because you knew.**

**- Arrigo Boito**

"Oh Tate," she replied, trying to hold back the laughter she was feeling at the moment. "I guess that I didn't hide that smile too well last night." She pulled out the book she had just bought and wrote him a special, little message. She put the book back in the bag and changed into another top, since it was getting to be a little chilly outside. She decided to pass the last few minutes before the date listening to her Ipod.

At 7pm on the dot, there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Come on in Tate, it's open," she replied, stopping the iPod and taking off her headphones.

"You ready to go, Violet? I've already got everything for the bonfire set up at the beach earlier," he responded, offering her his hand to help her get up.

"Sure, just let me get this bag and we'll leave." She spotted the guitar case that he had put down on the floor when he entered the room. "Tate, what's in that case over there?"

"Oh, that's for me to know and you to find out later," he winked, mischievously. He was gonna let her curiosity build, just like she did last night with her comment to him about the Addie conversations.

They made their way out of the house and after a short walk, they arrived at the beach. He started a fire and sat down beside her. "So Violet, how was your day? Did you have fun with your family?" he questioned, turning to her to listen more closely.

"Actually, I had a good time today. We went shopping and I got something for you. It's not much, but I hope you like it." She handed him the bag and anxiously looked on, awaiting his reaction.

"Thanks Violet, that was really nice of you. You really do know me too well about my love of anything Native-American related," he responded. He read the little inscription she wrote on the inside cover of one of the books and a smile came across his face, remembering their old saying about birds.

"So are you gonna tell me or show me what's in that case already or not, Tate? The suspense is killing me," she replied, giving him a look that she knew would make him do whatever she wanted. He reached over and opened the case, pulling out an acoustic guitar. "A guitar, really? What are planning to do with that?"

"I told you that there are things about me you didn't know already. I used to sing and play the guitar when I was alive. I wanted to share this part of my life with you. I hope you like what you hear, since I'm kind of out-of-practice and just learned a new song," he admitted. He began to play "Free as a Bird" and was looking deep into her eyes. When he reached the lines,**"Can we really live without each other? Where did we lose the touch that seemed to mean so much? It always made me feel so... Free as a bird, like the next best thing to be**", that did her in. She was leaning forward to kiss him when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of people approaching them. She tensed up and he sensed something was wrong and turned to see what was bothering her.

"Oh lookie who we have here. Tate, you're here with your little girlfriend. You're not gonna try and run away from us like you did before are you," Chloe asked, trying to agitate him into a confrontation.

Violet grabbed Tate's arm and looked in his eyes. "Tate, we don't have to stay here and deal with them. Let's go somewhere else, alright?" she begged him, not wanting to spoil their one night of freedom from the house.

"It's fine Violet, I need to do this. I'll be ok," he whispered in her ear. He turned back around and walked over to Chloe and the rest of the Dead Breakfast Club. "I've been needing to apologize to all of you. Honestly, I really thought that I was sending you all to a better place. I was wrong and I'm sorry. I know that you will never forgive me and I don't deserve your forgiveness either," he admitted, tears of regret flowing down his face.

"That's all we ever wanted from you, Tate. The truth and an apology for everything," Chloe stated. As she was finishing up this statement, she and the others began to vanish into thin air, finally able to move on.

He walked back over to Violet and sat down. She was staring at him weird and he couldn't take it anymore. "What? Will you please quit staring at me like that? You're looking at me all crazy-like and it's kind of unnerving," he asked, trying to play off what just happened as nothing out of the ordinary.

"Who are you and what have you done to Tate? Really what was that?" she asked. She couldn't believe what she just saw and heard coming out of his mouth. She never thought she would actually witness him apologize for anything, much less to the Dead Breakfast Club for killing them.

"I told you that you had changed me. You just never got a chance to witness it firsthand. Can we please talk about something else. It wasn't a big deal," he stated, hoping she would just brush it under the rug and forget about it.

"So about that song, I didn't know that you knew Free as a Bird by the Beatles. It actually came out after you died. How did you know that I liked it?" she questioned, her interest piqued by his song choice.

"Violet, please don't get mad at me, but I went into your room today while you were gone. I wanted to share more with you about who I really am. I found that song on your iPod and the words really spoke to me about my feelings for you. You know how much I like Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, but did you realize that Kurt was inspired by the Beatles?" he admitted. A look of astonishment came across her face. She never knew that little known fact.

"Wow, that's interesting, Tate. I'm not mad at you at all. How did you learn to play and sing that song so well as you did with less than a day of practice?" she asked, her curiosity building by the minute.

'Actually I'm what people call a musical savant, someone who can hear something once and be able to reproduce it pitch perfect. I've never had a single lesson. I just picked up a guitar one day and the rest is history," he admitted. He picked up his guitar again and started to play something off the cuff. She laughed and this made him happy.

"What other songs can you play, Tate? Anything I might know?" she replied, wanting to know more about this side of him.

"Mainly, I play Nirvana songs, but I can basically play anything else. I like the Beatles of course. Kurt used to sing songs by the Beatles when he was a child. He idolized John Lennon, who originally recorded "Free as a Bird" once he left the group. Did you know the Nirvana song,

"About a Girl" was written after Kurt listened to the Beatles album, "Meet the Beatles", for three hours straight," he conceded. He liked to share little known facts about his favorite musicians and knew that she would appreciate it as well.

"That's fascinating, Tate. Do you know anything else interesting about them?" she inquired. She was really enjoying this conversation about music and didn't want it to end.

"Yes, I do know more, but can we discuss it some other time? Can we just sit here and enjoy each other company's and the scenery as well. Having only one day of freedom a year is entirely too short and I want to enjoy it while it last," he implored. They turned back to look out over the ocean, side-by-side, nearly touching. After a while of complete silence, Violet began to shiver, the top she had on was not enough to keep the cold at bay.

"Here, take this Violet," he replied, taking off his sweater and placing it over her shoulders. His hand accidentally brushed up against her neck in the process. They looked at each other and didn't know how to react.

" I think that we need to go now, Tate. It's getting late", she replied. The touch of his hand on her skin was making her feel uneasy. She needed to get away and fast. She didn't trust herself around him anymore. If she stayed, there's no telling what she would do or what would happen next.

"Ok, I guess you are right. It is getting late," he admitted. His feelings were a little hurt by her short answer and the reaction to his touch. He was scared that he just had ruined everything; all the progress he had made to rekindle their love and freindship down the drain.

They gathered up all of their things, put out the fire, and headed back to the house. Once they reached the front door, they shared an awkward goodnight and parted ways.

Hours passed and Tate couldn't get what happened earlier out of his mind. How could he have just ruined everything he had worked so hard for? He wanted to scream, cry, and punch something all at the same time. About the time that he was gonna something that he would regret later, Hayden appeared.

"Tate, what happened? What's wrong with you," she questioned, grabbing him by the arm and looking him in the eyes. A look of genuine concern and worry was quite evident in both her eyes and voice. She really did hate to see him in the shape he was in.

"I think that I have just screwed up all that I've been working for with Violet. She was shivering tonight at the beach, so I offered her my sweater. My hand accidentally brushed up against her neck in the process and she freaked out. It was like she couldn't get away from me fast enough. Then when we got back here, she didn't even say goodnight. She just walked away back up to her room," he confessed, trying harder not to lose it more than he had already. Hayden smiled when he finished telling her everything.

"Tate, I don't think you have anything to worry about. What it sounds like to me is that she's falling for you again and it's scaring her to do so. But if you are really worried that you have messed up everything with her, you might need to do something more to impress her. You did say that you used to write poetry, right? How about you write her a poem, telling her how you feel about her," she suggested. He pondered that thought for a minute and decided that was exactly what he was gonna do.

"Now that you mention writing her a poem, I think that I'll do just that. I need some inspiration though," he replied. He started to think of something for inspiration. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hayden looking at something.

"What is this book, Tate?" It has some really interesting stories in it, even one about a bird. I know how both of you like birds. Here have a look," she answered, handing him the book to look at. He quickly scanned over the story, but it just didn't feel right for what he was wanting to say. Disheartened,he started to close the book, but stopped to look at what Violet had written on the inside of the cover once again. Something about reading what she wrote again made him get the perfect idea for a poem.

"Hayden, come here and read this. Violet wrote something in the book before she gave it tonight. It makes me think of another bird, a mythological bird in particular, a Phoenix. What do you think?" he asked, holding the book out where she could read it. She quickly read what Violet wrote. Not being familiar with the legend of the Phoenix, she asks him to explain it to her better.

"Tate, what can you tell me about the legend of the Phoenix? I'm not familiar with that story," she implored. She wanted to understand why the Phoenix was so important to him.

"A Phoenix is a mythological bird that when it dies, it catches ablaze and a new Phoenix rises from the ashes of the former. It's like a death and rebirth. It reminds me of how my life was before Violet. I was cruel, uncaring and was not concerned about anything or anybody but myself. But then I met her and she changed me. She taught me how to be a better person and along the way I fell in love with her. My heart was crushed when she told me to go away. This second chance she has given me is like my rebirth," he conceded.

"Ok, now I understand and I love the idea with the Phoenix. I'll leave you, so you can get to work on the poem. I wish I could see her face when you share it with her," she admitted, her excitement growing by the minute.

"Ok, thanks Hayden for talking me through everything," he replied. He found a pen and paper and got to work. He finished the poem a while later and hoped that it would do the trick.

**November 1st, 2021**

Violet had been up for hours, tossing and turning in her bed. Whenever she tried to close her eyes, all she could see and think about was Tate. She had been replaying the events of the past few nights over in her mind. There was no denying that he had changed. He had shared parts of his life that he had never shared before. Despite telling herself she wasn't gonna fall for him again, she couldn't stop herself either. She needed to talk to him.

Tate had been up all night himself, as well. He had finished the poem, but still couldn't get her out of his head He needed to get out of the basement for a while, so he decided to go outside for a walk.

Violet found him outside in the gazebo. He was facing away from the house. She called out his name and he turned around to face her. In his hand was a red rose. She realized what that meant and it made her even more nervous. "Tate, we need to talk about what happened last night. I'm sorry for acting the way I did. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just how much you have changed has really scared me. I never planned on speaking to you again, much less falling in love with you," she confessed, whispering that last part under her breath.

"Did you just say that you love me, Violet," he questioned, not believing what he just heard her say. "I thought that I had ruined everything last night and that you never wanted to speak to me again. I wrote you a poem, hoping to change your mind," he admitted, pulling the poem out of his pocket. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Sure, I'd loved to hear your poem," Violet admitted. She was blushing and couldn't wait to hear it..

Tate took a deep breath and began to read.

**Our Love is like a Phoenix**

**Risen from the ashes of the past**

**Before you, I was a cruel, uncaring being**

**Then you changed me**

**Awakened a side of me long hidden deep within**

**A kinder, more loving side**

**Thank you for loving me, all of me**

**Inside and out**

**I never wanna let you go again**

**You are my guiding light, my everything**

By the time he finished, she couldn't help herself anymore. She kissed him, passionately while running her fingers through his hair. She didn't stop for a full minute. When she finally did pull away to catch her breath, they couldn't help but start laughing.

"Wow, I'll never wash these lips again. So I guess you liked the poem then?" he replied, smiling like a cheshire-cat from ear to ear and rubbing his lips She playfully smacked him on the arm.

"I didn't just like it, I loved it. Now shut up and kiss some more already," she replied, pulling him in closer.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, they were being watched from an upstairs window by two unlikely partners in crime, Hayden and Moira. "Just like it was always supposed to be," Moira remarked. Hayden nodded her head in agreement.

After they stopped kissing for a second time, a thought crossed Tate's mind about something Violet had said or actually promised to tell him about at a later date. "So Violet, are you gonna let me on those conversations you used to have with my sister or what now." He was gonna tickle her into submission if it was the last thing he could do.

"Stop Tate. I'll tell you or better yet I'll show you if you stop it right now with the tickling," she begged, kicking and laughing the whole time.

"Okay it's a deal."


End file.
